GoT: Daenerys’ Cruel Stunt Of Burning An Enemy Alive Was Out Of Character

Wrong, wrong, wrong. ‘Game of Thrones’ book fans, are you furious? George RR Martin, are you reeling with indignation? The TV show has veered repeatedly way off the real story this season — but this deviation gives us a totally disappointing Daenerys .

When Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) gathered the heads of the most powerful families in Meereen in retaliation for a deathly attack by the Sons of the Harpy, it wasn’t a surprise. That made sense, and it was exactly what she did in the GoT books.

‘Game of Thrones’: Daenerys Murders Enemy Lord & Feeds To Her Dragons

But unleashing her dragons, Rhaegal and Viserion, to burn one of her captors alive and then having them dine on him in front of her other prisoners, was a completely made-up-for-TV moment.

This season of GoT, more than any other, has ridden way off the ranch from the books — Little Finger delivering Sansa Stark to marry sadistic Ramsay Bolton, Brienne coming face to face with both Sansa and Arya, Jamie infiltrating Dorne, Margery having sex with Tommen — but this new Dany move really had me infuriated.

It’s bad enough that smart advisor Ser Barristan has been killed off in an untimely death, now the show was turned Daenerys into a vicious killer who gives her “babies” a bigger appetite for human flesh. The reason that Dany had such promise as a ruler as well as a leader was that she wasn’t gratuitously cruel.

Daenerys Goes Rogue: Mother Of Dragons Should Have Mercy!

She actually wanted to rule for the long term. That goal meant finding ways of inspiring fear, as well as admiration, without unleashing evil like the former aristocrats in Meereen, who nailed slave children to crosses, as a warning.

When Dany returned the favor and nailed the Meereen slave-torturing top brass to crosses, it was just desserts AND exactly what she did in the books. But now, the G0T producers have served us a less impressive, impetuously nasty Dany who cooks her enemies in order to keep power. The lady stooped to conquer. Something ‘book Daenerys ‘never did.

Yes, she did also end up agreeing to a strategic alliance with Meereen’s traditional ruling class by deciding to marry the major owner of the fighting pits — Hizdahr zoLoraq — but that’s savvy, not barbarous. A Queen who lights up a dragon barbecue when she’s frustrated sounds just about the same as Cersei, who has equally monstrous ways of disposing of enemies. Westeros has already had it with her.

Game of Thrones producers aren’t really giving us or Westeros much of a Queen option, with this new, merciless Daenerys. Stannis Baratheon is looking better every episode.

What do you think, HollywoodLifers? Are you as upset as I am that Dany has gone rogue from her character? Let me know.